Max Verstappen may be having his own teammate issues of his own, but he was quick to call out Lewis Hamilton’s similar woes in China.

The reigning four-time world champion pounced on a clash between the two Ferraris just a few corners into Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Hamilton led teammate Charles Leclerc and old rival Verstappen into the first set of undulating corners and when they bunched together it was the two in red that made contact.

Leclerc’s front left collided with Hamilton’s rear right, and while the Brit in fourth was lucky to avoid a puncture, the Monegasque in fifth lost part of his front wing.

“I’ve been hit by someone,” Hamilton said over team radio, and the moment was instantly noticed by Verstappen.

The Dutchman quickly informed the Red Bull pit wall: “Charles has a broken front wing!”

That shout was more than just an observation too, with commentator Martin Brundle pointing out that if a car is deemed unsafe by race stewards, they can be forced to pit and resolve the issue.

That would’ve gifted Verstappen a place, and the chance to challenge Hamilton, however, Leclerc wasn’t having any of it.

“We have lost 20 to 30 points [of downforce] on the front,” his race engineer told him. “If we can survive we wait for the first stop.”

Leclerc steadfastly replied: “We can survive!”

Rather remarkably, Leclerc kept going through to his pitstop, and didn’t even change the front wing while stopping.

Stewards show a black flag with an orange circle when car damage is deemed dangerous, a fate Kevin Magnussen regularly suffered in his Haas.

Yet Ferrari didn’t receive such a call in China and were allowed to use both of their drivers in an effort to challenge leaders McLaren.

Verstappen and Red Bull had no such luck, with their No.2, Liam Lawson, right at the back of the grid unable to help the world champion.

More to follow…